Our Story
Since 1945, Sawtooth has served as a creative hub for the central North Carolina region. We offer high-quality, hands-on visual art classes and workshops throughout the year for individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels.
Experienced and professional artists teach across 11 departments, ranging from ceramics to woodworking and many areas in between. Located in downtown Winston-Salem, our name reflects our home in a historic textile mill, featuring skylights that fill our studio with abundant natural light.
A Winston-Salem Staple Since 1945
Sawtooth was initially founded in 1945 as the Arts and Crafts Workshop, with the goal of enhancing the cultural life of Winston-Salem. Together, the Junior League, the Winston-Salem School System, and the City’s Parks & Recreation Department joined forces to establish a community-based, hands-on learning institution that would present visual art programming for all ages year-round.
Sawtooth’s founding board members Mary Reynolds Babcock, Elizabeth Gray, Helen Copenhaver Hanes, May Mountcastle, and Charles Norfleet played a crucial role in the school’s success. Many of these individuals applied the lessons they learned at Sawtooth to establish and develop the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and other lauded institutions. Their early contributions significantly contributed to the city's creative revival and helped Winston-Salem earn its “City of the Arts” reputation.
Our Landmark Building
In 1982, we found a new home in the historic Shamrock Mills building downtown. This building, originally constructed in 1911 as Hanes’ first hosiery factory and later named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, holds a significant place in the city's history. As part of our new identity, we adopted the name “Sawtooth” to reflect the building’s unique jagged roofline and north-facing skylights, which were designed to fill the bustling factories with soft, even daylight before the widespread use of industrial lighting.
Over the years, our organization has been housed under various names in several locations. Still, our mission to provide community members with high-quality craft and visual art instruction has never changed. Today, we continue to strengthen our role as a creative hub for the region, providing hands-on, creative experiences for people regardless of age, background, or skill level
Celebrating 80 Years
In 2010, we reopened with renovated facilities inside the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts, which now includes 16 studios spread over 20,000 square feet. We have also recently expanded beyond downtown by adding two new studios at the Intergenerational Center for Arts and Wellness, located near Wake Forest University. Additionally, we feature a large off-site kiln pavilion that houses two wood-fired kilns and multiple raku kilns, making them the only community-accessible kilns of their kind within a two-hour radius.
This year, Sawtooth celebrates its 80th anniversary with special workshops, events, exhibitions, and more. To help continue supporting this downtown institution for another 80 years, consider making a donation today.
Support Our Work
Your donation helps fund scholarships, expand programming, and keep our studios open to everyone. Every gift keeps creativity alive in Winston-Salem.